Brill, Pleuronectes Rhombus
1803
Meet the Brill, a flatfish that looks like it was pressed flat by a steamroller! Edward Donovan, a passionate Irish naturalist, captured this quirky creature in exquisite detail for his publication on British fishes. Notice how both eyes are crammed onto the left side of its head, while the tiny companion fish on the right reveals its pale, blind underside—a perfect camouflage trick for hiding on the sandy ocean floor. These hand-colored prints were the 'National Geographic' of their day, bringing the weird and wonderful creatures of the deep to curious audiences in 1806.
- Technique
- hand-colored engraving
- Material
- paper
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